


What The Pictures Tell

by bigappleelephant



Series: The Photo Albums [1]
Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Future Fic, Gen, Memories, Neptune Memories, Nostalgia, Photographs, Veronica Mars Holiday Gift Exchange 2014, Veronica POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 21:21:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2826524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigappleelephant/pseuds/bigappleelephant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Veronica and a photo album, at Christmas time. Neptune is long gone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What The Pictures Tell

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ghostcat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostcat/gifts).



> Written as part of starlightafterastorm's tumblr Veronica Mars Holiday Exchange 2014.

It’s been years now since she’d been in Neptune but Christmas always brings the memories back. She’d lost touch with Lilly, Duncan and Logan. It’d stopped bothering her long ago, really. She would have been amazed if they’d all stayed as close as they had been in high school. When Lilly had gone and fucked things up, they were pretty much doomed. Heading off to college, she’d sworn to Logan that she’d stay faithful. But anyone who knew Lilly Kane couldn’t have been surprised when word eventually got around that she’d been hooking up with every frat boy in sight. Veronica loved Lilly; they were basically sisters and best friends. And would be for eternity, but as she approached her own college plans and her interest in her own future, Lilly didn’t seem to have the place she once had in her day to day. Even her non-Fab Four friends had ended up going to the wayside. Mac and Wallace had stayed in her peripheral but she'd long lost touch with her dear friends. Joining the FBI does that to you. She still kept their presence in her life. And she missed her relationship with Logan more than almost anything else. 

Sometimes, on nights like tonight when DC felt way more like Neptune than appropriate, she'd pour herself a glass of wine and open up that old faded photo album filled with nostalgia. She loved that photo that sat front and center on page one. It was from the last time they’d been all been together and in a celebratory mood. Lilly had just graduated. Of course, it wouldn’t be her graduation without booze, fancy-barely there dresses, and the be all end all with that girl: skinny dipping. Veronica had long parted ways with Duncan at that point (yikes, sometimes she couldn’t understand how she’d dated him for so long) and Logan and Lilly had been in the midst of one of their major ‘on’ periods. Even so, Lilly had always been capable of splitting her focus between her boy toy and her best friend. After graduation, Lilly had commandeered all of Veronica’s time and locked them in her small bedroom. No surprise, Lilly already had her own dress for the evening’s celebration picked out - it was as glamorous and as exposing as she could get away with. 

Lilly had rifled through Veronica’s closet for endless amounts of time. Her style had long changed from the first time they’d gone through this process - when Lilly wanted Veronica to wear that short red dress. Now rather than princess pink and sparkly flowy fabrics, her closet contained endless punk tees, jackets and boots on boots on boots. Lilly sometimes hadn’t known what to do with her once-demure, girly best friend. When Lianne had gone off the deep end and disappeared for good, something had changed drastically, like a switch had been flipped and the girl Veronica had been when they'd first met faded away into the abyss. Lilly had dug into the deepest depths of Veronica's closet and dresser and had managed to find a few things. She transformed into, to use Lilly's own words, a "punk rock queen". It incorporated a dress she had long forgotten existed but had bought during her transition and the boots got to stay around. In a stunning blue, rough around the edges knee length dress she'd rocked her favorite knee high boots. Hair infamously styled by Lilly, she was a stark contrast to her best friend. Then when the boys had arrived at her front door, per Lilly's instructions, Backup had barked like his usual self and Logan had quieted him. With Lilly's begging, Keith had taken a picture of the group. Lilly making silly faces and wrangling the rest of the gang in. She was now glad Lilly had been so persistent. The photo she stared at so intently was one where they looked most ridiculous. Quite possibly the last time they'd all been so happy together. She did miss it, she couldn't lie to herself. 

She flipped through a few pages as the images practically swallowed her whole. She paused when she saw the senior spring photo of her, Mac and Wallace. With Lilly's departure, her friendships with these two had strengthened. She'd found them separately back during sophomore year after Lianne had disappeared. She'd realized she didn't need to stay so closeted, so perfect. That she could have a more complex life. Mac and Wallace were integral to that adjustment. Her computer and basketball (respectively) loving best friends had been her rock through the shit storm that Lilly had produced throughout her first year at San Diego State. The photo was the epitome of their friendship. Relaxed with easy smiles on their faces. Arms wrapped around each other while they sat outside eating lunch. It was such a juxtaposition to Fab Four photos where everyone always had to be, well, fabulous. Senior year, the trio had been at peace with who they were apart and together. It showed so clearly through that picture. And sometimes it made her wish she had a life that was more connected to them beyond the random text, email or catch up when they passed through town. But the FBI dictated her life, not that she usually really minded. 

Turning the page, a small photo in the corner caught her eye. Logan. Goodness she missed him beyond what words could describe. During his senior year of high school and Lilly's freshman year at SD State, the notorious on and off relationship of theirs had finally ended for good. For a while, Logan and Veronica had kept their distance. While they'd been friends for so long, it’d been ages since their friendship hadn't so readily involved Lilly. Then Logan had started a business, initially just a senior math project, with Mac and he was around her more than ever before. When Veronica had successfully ended up at Stanford and Mac and Logan had made the move to Silicon Valley for the good of the business, Logan and Veronica had begun spending even more time together. It slowly transitioned from primarily time as a trio to Logan making trips to Stanford solely for visits with Veronica. They'd reconnected and rediscovered what had brought them together years before as friends. She'd been working in the library, studying her Criminal Theory textbook, when he'd surprised her with a visit. He'd brought his laptop and worked across the table from her. They didn't usually need much more than each other's presence to be alright with things. She'd paused her reading to look up and study his face. He looked so stunning when concentrating. Like usual, her camera had been stashed in her bag and she had pulled it out and snapped the pensive shot of him. It was in that moment she'd realized she was pretty sure she was falling in love with Logan. And it'd been the start of everything. Until the FBI came calling and everyone, except for her, had known there was no way Veronica Mars would turn down the FBI. She'd labored over the decision. But ultimately it had been Logan who'd talked her through it and made her see the truth. He'd used his experience with finding success and happiness in his work and most of all he wanted her to find the same. If the two of them were truly destined for each other, they'd find one another again had been the logic he'd used. 

She wanted to find herself before rediscovering each other. Sometimes it still amazed her how incredible a man he'd transformed into. She missed him more than anything in the world, but she didn't know how to find her place with him again. It was a thought that had plagued her time and time again. It came and went and she'd never landed on how to reach for him once again. As she sat there, wine glass in hand, window open and breeze blowing, she pondered her life. As the wind quickened, she jolted back to reality and realized a storm was brewing. Abruptly she put down her glass, jumped up and slammed the window shut. The change of weather had taken her by surprise, and when she settled back down on the couch, picking up the book. The page that the album had flipped made her heart ache in a way nothing else could. A collage of Backup. Some were with her and others with her father. And a few had all three of them. That dog was part of what had held the Mars’ together. He'd been her companion when no one else had been around. Her protector when she worked for her dad and her classmates. Backup had been the constant presence she depended on, the one who always greeted her at the door. Her favorite photo was one of Backup and her dad on the couch. Backup had taken over and possessed more than his fair share of the space but it was evident that Keith didn't care. She could tell in that photograph that Backup meant just as much to him as he did to her. And it pained her that the dear old dog had finally passed on, because it always served as a comfort that even though she was gone, her father had Backup keeping him company. Backup finally succumbing to old age - he'd held out much longer than most old dogs, she expected just out of sheer love for his family - it was the last existing piece drawing her to Neptune. She hadn't visited since his burial, although she'd hosted Keith for vacations and holidays. 

Moving on was something she had become so good at, she thought to herself as she continued turning the pages. There was little rhyme or reason for much of the organization of the book but rather was meant to continuously surprise her. Landing on a striking image of her oldest, dearest best friend. She remembered the day the image had come from. The Kanes, being the Kanes, had randomly decided to spring for a photoshoot. Of course Lilly had been more than happy to partake but Duncan had said that the only way he'd participate was if Veronica was a part of it. That had led to Lilly begging for Logan to be allowed to take part, too. So the Fab Four had taken over a photo set - if Veronica recalled correctly, initially their parents were planning to be in it too, but after a few shots it became evident it was about the friends and not the family. Lilly had owned the camera, periodically dragging others in. She'd chosen the most glamorous old-Hollywood dress the studio had to offer and was done up by hair and makeup in a way to perfectly complete the look. The one contained in Veronica's album had been their mutual favorite. It was one where Lilly had worked the camera like she was born to and seemed more meant for a magazine or an ad than a simple best friend photoshoot. It reflected Lilly to the core - all the attitude, glamour, sparkle and sass that encompassed who she was and aspired to be. 

As she turned to flip the album closed, she caught sight of the last photo that graced the back of the final page on its lonesome. It was there on its own for a reason. To remind her randomly of the amazing, raw and honest friendship that had develop between Wallace and herself. She'd never expected to find a friend like Wallace - especially after years as Lilly's best friend. Wallace enabled an honesty and comfort in her life that had long fallen away with other friendships. While she had all the history and complications with Lilly, Duncan and Logan, Wallace never held anything against her and never ever once cared that she had made the choices and loved the people she did. He'd become that male best friend and constant presence she'd never known she'd needed. And this photo showed that honesty and comfort to the core. She'd attended a big basketball game - with Wallace there was never any hesitation that whatever one cared about the other would care just as much just because their friendship mattered - and while she hadn't actively cheered him on to success, she was there to greet him when he'd beelined it straight to her for a big sweaty hug. The yearbook photographer had been there and captured the simple purity of the friendship and mutual respect they held for each other. As they hugged each other with conviction, they hadn't even noticed the camera flash go off. It sometimes still amazed her someone had captured so much in that image. 

With that, Veronica let the album cover fall closed. The rain had long started pounding against the window, the sky had darkened and her wine glass and the accompanying bottle were both empty and cast off the the side. The album had again done the job she'd created it to do. When things started to feel a bit too out of place, with too many bizarre instances that reminded her of Neptune and why she'd needed to leave it behind. The album was the reminder of that, no matter what had happened all those years ago, somehow she'd found a whole slew of people who loved her and believed in her and stuck by her in a way Lianne had set her up to believe wasn't possible. Every so often she needed the reminder that no matter what she had those people, no matter how much time went by. And that reminder allowed her to go back into the FBI the next day, ready and excited for the new challenging case awaiting her. She never wanted the contents of the album to leave her for good. Ever. She smiled as she took one more glance at the back cover of the book now on her coffee table. And with that she called it a night, curled up in her favorite spot in front of the Christmas tree.


End file.
